Shloka 1

द्वादशः सर्गः — हनूमतः अन्तःपुरविचयः

Hanuman’s Search Through Ravana’s Inner Apartments

Devanagari script

स तस्य मध्ये भवनस्य मारुतिर्लतागृहांश्चित्रगृहान्निशागृहान्।जगाम सीतां प्रति दर्शनोत्सुकोन चैव तां पश्यति चारुदर्शनाम्।।।।

Transliteration

sa tasya madhye bhavanasya mārutiḥ

latāgṛhāṃś citragṛhān niśāgṛhān |

jagāma sītāṃ prati darśanotsuko

na caiva tāṃ paśyati cārudarśanām ||

Translation

ആ മന്ദിരത്തിന്റെ നടുവിൽ മാരുതി സീതാദർശനത്തിനായി ആകാംക്ഷയോടെ ലതാഗൃഹങ്ങളും ചിത്രഗൃഹങ്ങളും നിശാഗൃഹങ്ങളും കടന്നുപോയി; എങ്കിലും സുന്ദരദർശിനിയായ സീതയെ കണ്ടില്ല.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• cintayāmāsa: thought, reflected
• cintayāmāsa: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (चिन्त् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kāla (काल/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/हेतु-वाचक अव्यय (then/from that)

• mahā-kapiḥ: the great monkey
• mahā-kapiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + kapi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः

• priyām: the beloved (Sita)
• priyām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (beloved woman)

• apaśyan: not seeing
• apaśyan: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु) (शतृ/Present active participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; कर्तरि (not seeing)

• raghu-nandanasya: of Rama (delight of Raghu line)
• raghu-nandanasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu (प्रातिपदिक) + nandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (Raghu's descendant's = Rama's)

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (refers to priyām)

• dhruvam: surely
• dhruvam: Kriya-vishesana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (certainly)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeed/for)

• sītā: Sita
• sītā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• mriyate: dies
• mriyate: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛ (मृ धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (as/just as)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• vicinvataḥ: of me (while) searching
• vicinvataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-cit (चित् धातु) (शतृ/Present active participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; (me) इत्यस्य सम्बन्धे 'of me who is searching'

• darśanam: sight, appearance
• darśanam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• eti: comes, occurs
• eti: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: i (इ धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• maithilī: Maithili (Sita)
• maithilī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maithilī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सीतायाः उपनाम

Context

Anxious to find Sita, Hanuman revisited the bowers of creepers, picture galleries and domitories located in the midst of the mansion, but did not find that beautiful Sita.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān (Māruti)
• Sītā
• Laṅkā (implicit palace setting)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma here appears as steadfast duty: Hanumān prioritizes his mission to locate Sītā over distractions, demonstrating commitment to a righteous purpose.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān searches different sections of the palace complex—bowers, galleries, and sleeping quarters—yet Sītā is still not found.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Perseverance and single-pointed devotion to service (sevā) in the cause of Rāma.